Weekly Report - 2017-09-22 - Fall Migration Moves Forward
It was an unseasonably warm morning as I strolled out on the morning of the autumnal equinox! I counted a total of 20 species on the trail on my weekly Friday walk. Today didn't yield any exceptional species, but a highlight from the morning was a calling Red-shouldered Hawk at the Deer Meadow Lane cul-de-sac. Also, I have been noticing that the gravel and/or salt pile in the corner of the parking lot near the playing fields is a real haven for House Finches. If you see where the blue tarp and cinder block sit, look along the curb and on the ground for the birds. I had 8 there this morning! I've also had Chipping Sparrow there in the past. My hope is that if that gravel attracts enough Chipping Sparrows, it may bring in other more unusual sparrows such as Clay-colored Sparrow. September into October is a great time to look for these less common sparrows to our area!
eBird Checklist:
Bethel Springs E.S.--Nature Trail Sep 22, 2017 7:27 AM Traveling 0.25 miles 25 Minutes All birds reported? Yes Comments: Unseasonably warm for the autumnal equinox. Temperatures in the 70s and abundant sunshine. Had three separate warblers on the trail, but couldn’t positively ID any as they were drab, distant, and constantly moving. Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 1.5.4 Build 149 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 Mourning Dove 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 3 Blue Jay 5 American Crow 4 Carolina Chickadee 2 Tufted Titmouse 2 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Carolina Wren 1 Eastern Bluebird 2 American Robin 3 Gray Catbird 1 Northern Mockingbird 4 European Starling 3 warbler sp. (Parulidae sp.) -- Three unidentified warblers in separate locations. One was a possible MAWA. Couldn’t type out the other two. 2 Chipping Sparrow 4 Northern Cardinal 9 House Finch -- Eight in the gravel pile and one on the trail. 1 American Goldfinch
